The Danger Zone of You and Me; Lucas x Kim Sohyun ff (ON HOLD)

One: The Stranger Zone

I transferred here to Neo High without much of a thought in mind. All I knew that I had to do was: study, get a scholarship to a good college, avoid any danger zones no matter what, then get the fuck out.

As you can see, I already failed one goal.

Stranger and danger. Stranger danger. Isn't that what every kid learns at a young age? You shouldn't go near any random strangers offering you candy in their van. In a way, the stranger danger rules apply to the zone levels as well. That's why we begin with stranger and then end with danger. You shouldn't go near random strangers offering you some friendship in their heart. You never know if one day, they might want to evolve that friendship into something else.

When one person has stepped into your danger zone, you're at high risk of being pushed into their danger zone as well. Feelings are a tricky thing. If you don't know how to handle them, you could end up teleporting from zone to zone like a maniac. And teleporting is not good for the heart. One must always stay in one lane and not dare look anywhere else. That's why I never get too attached. Never get too close. Never get too open.

When you're all closed up, you live better in that way.

"Ow!" he whined a little as I placed some antiseptic on his wound. "Do it gently, Sohyun.."

"Aish, why'd you even trip anyway? It's not like you're a little kid." I finished up disinfecting the wound as I take some cotton from the first aid kit.

"You shouldn't be taking care of me like this when you have a cold..."

"And whose fault was it that I have a cold?"

Yukhei pursed his lips as I placed some cotton on a patch, placing it on his wound. "I don't know much about first aid, but this should be pretty good for now. ACHOO!" I sneezed again, covering my mouth with my handkerchief. "Try to put some antiseptic on it every day. It will help you heal."

Upon first entering this school, I remember seeing you laughing with all your friends like a psychopath in the cafeteria with your obnoxiously loud voice practically deafening my ears everytime you opened your mouth. How could someone be so annoying? At some point you were a puzzle I wanted to solve until I concluded you're just another one of those arrogant frat boys who spend their nights partying and getting laid.

"Um, hi. I'm new here too, mind if I sit with you?" I looked up to see a particular girl who happened to be in the same class as me. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm Yoojung, and-"

"No. I know you."

"O-oh... really?"

"Take a seat. I don't really care." I shrugged and continued eating the lunch on my lunch tray. That's just her situation. New and without any friends, so I let her sit with me. She better not be expecting anything from me though. "Oh, thank you so much!" she smiled as she sat down and opened her lunch box. Judging by her good looks, Rolex, pre-packed lunch and cute clothes, this girl must be from a rich family. She shouldn't be thanking me. A few days from now she wouldn't even want to be seen with me. She'd probably be hanging out with the cool kids by then. After all.. what would a nerd like me have to offer? I adjust my glasses on my face as I continue eating on my lunch tray.

The stranger zone has always been my favorite level ever since I even made up these levels. In this level, I don't know that person's name nor do I really care about that person's life. We just pass by each other everyday and that's it. We don't stop to say hi, we don't bother with names and yet we go on. It's not bothersome, it's awesome.

I liked it much better when you didn't know of my existence, Wong Yukhei.

I liked it much better when you were just that loud mouthed guy in the cafeteria who was not in my danger zone by the slightest.

"Yah, in love, age doesn't matter! If I love Hani noona then I love her!" I heard you say with your loud voice back then. Yoojung giggled from across me. "That guy, Yukhei or Lucas or whatever, don't you think he's quite funny?" she asked.

"No. He's annoying. I sit in front of him in class and he never stops talking at any cost."

"Lucky you, you sit in front of him." Yoojung looked at me enviously. I just scrunched my nose a little as I shook my head in disapproval. "Believe me, if I could switch with you, Yoojung-ssi, I would."

The cool thing with strangers is that they might have crossed their paths several time but they were just never aware. Fate with them being in the same location multiple times but at the same time not fate as they never acknowledge each other's presence. You could recognize a stranger if you payed much attention. For example, that boy you often see on the train every day while commuting to school. You could know that stranger's face. As if they were a friend, you could remember. But you'll never know that stranger's name, that stranger's life and that stranger's struggles. So when one day that stranger suddenly disappears, you feel a bittersweet feeling, but then you end up forgetting anyway.

Indeed.

Stranger zone is the best.

"Rather than antiseptic, I think spending time with you can make me heal, Sohyun-ah." You smile warmly at me.

I wish you wouldn't do that, Wong Yukhei.

I wish you wouldn't care.

I wish you wouldn't call me "Sohyun-ah" like you've known me all your life.

I wish you wouldn't smile and make me feel as if I was special.

I wish you were just a stranger I could recognize.